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A DIFFICULT TASK

•' GILRUTH'S LOT IN DARWIN

STRONG. BOLSHEVIK ELEMENT

■Mr.'G. L. D. James, of Auckland, contruetional engineer fo Vestey" Bros., of iondon, who was in charge of the erocioii of the Freezing Works at Darwin or twelve months'in 1915-16, had some hteresting and * pertinent comments to pake to the Auckland "Star" on indusrial life at Darwin, where, evidently, lie office of Administrator of that terriory. is •no sinecure. Consequently it ras .not surprising to Mr. Jainee to see >y the cablegrams that Dr. J. A. Gil•uth,_wbo is well known in New Zea and, had adopted a far from weak attiude. amongst the people who have made !ome form of attack upon him during he last few days. Since Mr. James camo o /New Zealand the conditions in Dar-i-iii will not have improved, ho knows, iwing to the influx during the war of ieople.of declared Bolshevik tendencies, lir. .Tames says:—

''Darwin is the name of an estuary on ilie north-west coast of Australia, 15 de>rees south uf the Equator', the (own 'ml capital of the Northern Territory is 'almerston, although I'almeisloii bears :he same relation to Darwin as Auckland ioes to the Waitemata. , Paimerston is nvariably referred to as Darwin, and t is'here that the Government provin•ial offices are situated, also the re.silence of the Administrator, Dr. J. A. ; iilruth, who was appointed some yw.rs igo: and invested with wide authority, 'flew can realise' that this town of Air>ralia contains more foreign than British nhabitants, and therefore many will irobably be unable fo realise the difiieuljies tho Administrator has to coniend VifhY Prior to the white Australian polcy adopted by the Commonwealth, C'ninise were plentiful for all classes of werk; jeyoiid the pearling and mining indusries and cattle runs there was l'ttle ilse doing in Darwin. The Eastern ]«- :ension Cable Company have a cable ftaiion there, and in a half-hearted nianier railiyay construction was being carlied onf.

Compulsory Unionism. 'Since the advent of the \Vhitc Aus. alia policy, compulsory unionism has en established there, Chinese and -iun-as-not .being'permitted'to join, aw unionist is permitted to work lor ; employer who employs a non-umon- '. of any description, consequently the jmred labour has been ousted, and an 'ux'of a most heterogeneous crowd to e their places, the result being that i ridiculous demands of the unions for jnlled white labour has practically j\i"ht everything to a standstill, and .6 only industry of any import there aw- is the meat freezing works; J™ [though there are upwards ot iTO.wu lead of cattle \n the territory, and tins yorks the only means of prontaoly cxiorting them, the place has been oil the m«e of closing up owing to the extreme ictfons of the white (?) unionists. I jiiestion the word white as it only r.pSlies to the policy adopted, for Jlurwin ias been the dumping ground for Europe, md there is more foreign language ipoken there than English.

• Polyglot War Shirkers. i At the outbreak of war especially Rusiiansand Italians and Creeks arrived :here in great numbers, having left their countries to avoid conscription, let ;hese scourings were welcomed by tho iVhite Union officials, and addressed at ;heir meetings as brothers, although the najority could not understand English. However, as they are addressed by the anion's interpreters, they do not always jet a correct report of the proceedings, ■have known of cases where trivial mat;ers in dispute have been made nbsoufely contrary to fact, and a, show of lands taken as a vote. In on© case the notion was, should a certain individual ipolbgise before work was resumed, and ;o the Greeks this was interpreted. 'Should they demand an increase of )ay?" Of course, every hand went up, ind the motion for the apology was car•ied. On the railway, at the time I am Speaking of, th'ero were between 200 and 100 Greeks. On a large construction .vorks, there were 640 men, which a ceiijus showed comprised 16 nationalities irawn from 2C different countries (including'one Maori). Of these not oncialf could speak English, and simply plindly followed tho union leaders. ! .In the recent disturbance it was stated jhat 700 formed a procession. These 'vould no doubt be a large proportion of Russians, as the heaviest beerjrinkers there. However, It would be safe to wager that not half of the individuals would be able to speak English, Ind would.lie told some tairadiddle of ipme serious offence; likewise all the i'ther lawless element, who would simply .•ejoiee in flouting the Government auihorities.

: Lack of British Justice. ; Dr. Gilruth, as Administrator, is not in employer of iabour on a large scale, jut, most important than that, lie conJrols the price of beer, the hotels being Government property. His term was :or- : -five years, at the end of which he vas returned for tho period of the war, ilthough, due to representation made by ihe union representatives of the poly;lbt crowd, others were considered to fill iho position, but could not be persuaded :0.,,..Dr. Gilruth being a strong, l&velleaded man, never was, arid never will be;'popular with the Labour element, as ia is of the wrong stuff to pander for fiipport, and it is only a man of his lualities that can ever maintain.a semilarico of administration under sitcli conIttions. What this union element desires is an idministrator appointed who can lie dic:ated to by them, dependent upon votes lor his position, and on whom they lould then throw the blame for the ex:esses they would go to to gain their own mds. Their ideals, expressed two years Igo, are purely Bolshevik, and if for any ■eason a shortage of employment, ociurred,- there would bo robbery and vio.ence. , "The union has so instilled into tho foreign element the power of unity that it times the- foreigners have stuck lofether and dictated to the executive. Lot t be understood," added Mr. James, ; that a good strong man will always be n trouble in Darwin as Administrator, vhile an Administrator- who is in any yay weak woiild bo- mors than ever a jrouble. My point is that Dr. Gilruth 's not, I knqw, being judged by British!i'S, but by unscrupulous union officials, vho. control Ihe crowd. I had an experience there myself. There was some dispute, and on my behalf I choso as in.'estigator of 'it tho Magistrate. The mion officials would not have him, hut iould not suggest anybody else. 'Oh, irell,' they said, 'we will consent to have iim, and if ho finds against us, we 1 will lot accept his decision.' That is the sort if thing tho. Administrator is up igainst."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19181228.2.83

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,092

A DIFFICULT TASK Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8

A DIFFICULT TASK Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8

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